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I need some help. My 01 Ram will blow cold air for 10-15 minutes and then a funny smell followed by hot/humid air. I have to let the truck sit for hours to get the A/C back for 10-15 minutes. The compressor is not kicking on at all while it is blowing hot air, I even tried jumping the low pressure switch and still cannot get it to run. I tried swapping out the relay with a different one and I aso replaced the fuse but nothing. It has been doing this for about a year now and I just do not want to take it in to a shop just to get the run around and pay out the nose just to get cold air for 20 minutes. When it works it works great but as soon as it goes there is no turning back, role the windows down and get comfortable because there will be no more a/c for the day.

You say it works great when it does so that rules out you are probly low on freon... You jumped/bypassed the pressure switch and it still didnt work, then when it does work it works only 10-15 minutes? Sounds like a possible broken wire/short somewhere or maybe a corroded switch connector inside the switch. Try this, the defroster runs the compressor/ac as well... Turn it all to cold and put the switch in defroster mode.... is the ac working? if so then either the switch needs cleaned or replaced and if thats not the problem then its a wire somewhere.

Well the compressor did not run. I just drove my truck for about 20 minutes and the a/c worked fine but now it doesn't. I tried turning the selector from max a/c to defroster one click at a time and did not hear any difference on any setting. After I got it to defroster I went and checked the compressor and it is not turning and there is no cold air to be found. I had trouble with my heater this winter too. After having the core flushed three times it finally worked at about 3/4 strength.

That has me baffled as well, sounds like a bad connector or wire somewhere? Sorry I couldnt be of more help but maybe someone soon will have a diagnosis for you? Good luck in getting it fixed soon, I know this heat is a killer so far this year.

I am having this exact same problem, just charged freon yesterday thinking that was my problem, but compressor only runs about 10 min. And won't turn back on till truck sits for a bit. I tried the jumper on the switch also with no luck.

I am having this exact same problem, just charged freon yesterday thinking that was my problem, but compressor only runs about 10 min. And won't turn back on till truck sits for a bit. I tried the jumper on the switch also with no luck.

No luck as of yet but right now my truck and I are seperated by 850 miles, I am moving and already drove it to the new location. I do have a new idea though. I read somewhere that the main fan will work enough to keep the engine cool but not enough to keep the A/C running for long. In theory the a/c will work until it doesn't get enough air flow and then the high pressure rises and the cut out kicks in. The test is a rather easy one too, just take a piece of cardboard and stick it in the fan. If the fan keeps going it is fine, if it stops or slows down significantly then the fan clutchj is gone or going and needs replaced. Like I said though I have not had the opportunity to try it out. You can try it and repost on here if it works. The shops will do a paper test and put a piece of paper in front of the radiator and they say if it doesn't fall to the ground it is fine but I have read a lot of people that say the cardboard test is the one to trust because the a/c needs a lot more air than the engine does.

I find this thread quite interesting. I have a 98 which has the same problem, with a twist, and I have always done my own ac maintenance. I bought this truck used, about 4 years ago. at the dealers, I started it up, observed that the compressor was kicking in and out as normal, it being winter, I was satisfied that the ac worked, by this observation, not by feeling the ducting vents. I was quite intrigued come spring by the fact that I had good cool air for about 2 miles on cold startup, but then it went warm, however, the compressor was still acting quite normally, and the tubing under the hood was doing a great job of sweating. I have never delved any deeper into the system, believing that some shmuck before me had fired a bunch of "leak fixer" into the system, and plugged or nearly plugged up an orifice or two in the system, or there was dirt in the system for some other reason. will be hoping that someone out there has found this seemingly common problem's cure!!!